11 November 2019
Greetings from Parliament. I landed at 1 pm and got into Parliament at 2.45 pm. Went straight into a Public Accounts Committee hearing to hear testimonies from Ministry of Finance officers. I have a full schedule today, two more meetings, one with the Speaker and will also be hosting dinner later tonight.
I have also been catching up on local news. On the matter of the deputy minister who fainted in Parliament earlier today, my colleagues tell me that he is stable and is in IJN for observations. This latest incident has prompted many of us to consider and re-evaluate a more balanced work-life. I am taking regular blood pressure tests and monitoring my diet.
On the matter of making MP’s life less stressful, the government can actually help. One way, is to provide more resources for our offices, so that we can hire more researchers and officers to help us, instead of us trying to do everything with limited help. With the current budget, I can only hire 3 officers and they are swamped with community work, my policy research work is simply overwhelming me.